Campaign launched to create a lasting tribute of shipbuilding history at Govan Graving Dry Docks

A PETITION is calling for the site to be revamped and turned into a heritage park, complete with cafe and visitor centre.

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to turn one of the final remnants of Glasgow’s maritime history into a shipbuilding heritage park.

The Govan Graving Dry Docks – which date back to 1869 and helped to maintain and repair hundreds of Clyde-built ships – have become an all but forgotten part of the city’s industrial heritage.

The three A-listed dry docks and derelict pump house, just across the river from the thriving Riverside Museum , are on The Scottish Civic Trust’s Buildings at Risk register.

But now a petition has been launched calling for the site to be turned into a shipbuilding heritage park with café and visitor centre.

It states: “We request that Glasgow City Council, along with other relevant stakeholders, look into the possibility
of renovating the Govan Graving Docks at Clydebrae Street in Glasgow to create a shipbuilding heritage park on the site.

“As much as possible of the existing dock structure should be retained, including the renovation of the pump house building as a café and visitor centre.

“The site is Category-A listed and identified in the Register for Scotland as being at risk.

“It is a significant part of the city’s industrial heritage however since closing down it has fallen into disrepair through years of neglect.”

The petition, on the website change.org, has attracted 150 signatures so far.

Mandy Collins added: “Too much of Glasgow’s heritage has been left to crumble.” While James Phimister said: “Clyde shipbuilding is one of Scotland’s greatest achievement and should be commemorated.”

Most of the other docks on the river have been filled in to make way for modern housing developments.

But the petition claims any residential use would destroy the character of the site.

In 2005, the site was earmarked for a mixed use development called City Dock which included a commercial, leisure, retail and residential elements.

Nobody from New City Vision, who were behind the proposals, was available for comment.

A spokesman for Clyde Waterfront, who promotes the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the River Clyde, said: “We would just be keen to see an appropriate development at the site because it has been fallow for a good many years.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “We will consider any proposal to develop the Govan Graving Docks, which was an important industrial site in the past and will hopefully find a key use in the future.

“There have been several different proposals for these docks over recent years, and there is no planning consent at present, but we remain open to any ideas to further the regeneration of the Clyde.”